The Edinburgh-based group reported a significant improvement in trading in the second half of 2005.
Forth Ports owns and operates eight commercial ports in the UK: Tilbury on the Thames and seven in Scotland.
Ahead of its full-year results, due in March, Forth said Tilbury had done pretty well in the last six months of 2005, while the Scottish ports were also on the up.
The company’s share price has risen more than 25% in the past few months as the sector became infected with takeover fever. However, Forth is not seen as a candidate for a bid in the near future.
It opened the year at £13.50 and fell to just over £12 at one point, but the share price rose as takeover activity increased. It ended the year at £16.05.
Analysts are expecting annual pre-tax profits of £39.1m for 2005, down from £50.5m but the figure is set to rise to about £47m in 2006. Forth has a 50% equity stake in Multi-Link Terminals, a container terminal operator in Finland and Russia.
Within and around the Forth and Tay estuaries, Forth Ports has significant property interests, which it says it will continue to develop.
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